Shadows

About Shadows

Shadows is an avant-garde film directed by John Cassavetes, released in 1959. The film revolves around three African-American siblings - two brothers, and one light-skinned sister - and their experiences in a predominantly white society. It's a tale of love, race, and reality, and it's considered one of the pioneering efforts in American independent cinema.

Making / Production

John Cassavetes, the director of the movie, initially started Shadows as a series of acting exercises. However, these exercises eventually folded into a film that defined a cinematic movement. The film was made on a shoe-string budget, which necessitated a lean approach to production, including shooting on location in New York City and using a handheld camera for many shots.

Actors

• Ben Carruthers: Played the character of Ben. He beautifully portrayed the angst of a young man struggling to establish himself in a world that seems indifferent to his existence.
• Lelia Goldoni: Played the character of Lelia. Her performance effectively captured the contradiction existing within a white-passing black woman navigating the complex dimensions of love and race.
• Hugh Hurd: Played the character of Hugh. Hurd’s portrayal shed light on the struggle of an African-American artist facing racial discrimination in his professional life.

Trivia / Interesting Facts

• The film was largely improvised. Cassavetes did not possess a script in the traditional sense, but only a core outline of the plot.
• The first cut of the film was over three hours long but was eventually edited down to approximately 87 minutes.
• Both versions of the film (the first cut and the final version) won awards.

Awards

Shadows won the Critics Award at the Venice Film Festival in 1960, marking a monumental achievement in independent cinema.

Quotes

• "Being a Negro's not so bad. Not if you have intelligence and sensitivity."
• "You'll never understand. You don't know what it means to be a Negro."

Music, Soundtrack

• The soundtrack of Shadows was majorly a Jazz composition, by Charles Mingus, capturing the raw essence of New York in the 1950s.
• The improvised musical score added an additional layer of authenticity to the film.